GitHub Enterprise Server (GHES)

GitHub Enterprise Server Cheat Sheet

GitHub Enterprise Server is a self-hosted version of the GitHub platform that runs on your own infstructure. It gives your business increasedd control over security, access, and compliance, while the developers keep the familiar GitHub workflows. It is suitable for enterprises subject to regulatory requirements and can be deployed on-premises or in public cloud services.

Trials

How long: 45 days, completely free.
How it works: You get a virtual appliance you can install on your own servers or in the cloud.
What’s missing: Dependabot alerts and GitHub Connect won’t work during the trial. If you need to see these, contact GitHub Sales.
Setup steps: Someone in your company requests the trial and sets up a virtual machine. After you get the confirmation email, you set up your GitHub Enterprise Web portal account and download your license file.
What to do next: Create an organization, set up your instance, connect it to your identity provider (SAML or LDAP), invite people to join, and learn the basics of GitHub.
When trial ends: You can buy full licenses anytime during the trial. If you don’t buy before the trial ends, you get an email. You can ask Sales for more time if needed.

Key Concepts and Optional Features

Term	What It Means
Instance	One installation of GitHub Enterprise Server running on a virtual machine.
Hotpatch	A small update you can apply without restarting your instance.
Upgrade package	A full update for major or minor version changes. Usually needs a restart.
High Availability (HA)	A backup instance that automatically takes over if your main one fails.
Active Replicas	Extra instances that handle read traffic to improve performance.
GitHub Connect	A feature that links your server instance to GitHub.com so you can use cloud features.
GitHub Actions	Automate your builds, tests, and deployments.
GitHub Advanced Security	Tools that scan your code for secrets and security problems.
GitHub Packages	Host and manage software packages for your company.
Enterprise Account	One place to manage all your teams, set policies, and see what’s happening across your organization.

Deployment Options

GitHub Enterprise Server comes as a ready-to-run virtual appliance. Once you set up a virtual machine and install it, the system runs Linux with GitHub’s own software stack. You cannot install other software or change the operating system.

Hypervisors you can use on your own servers:

Microsoft Hyper‑V

OpenStack KVM
VMware ESXi

Cloud services where you can run it:

Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Google Cloud Platform (GCP)
Microsoft Azure

Keeping Your Instance Updated

You are the one responsible for keeping your GitHub Enterprise Server up to date. GitHub regularly puts out updates with security fixes and new features.

Types of releases:

Release Type	Description
Feature releases	Add new features. Come out about every three months. Start with release candidates for testing only. Never put these in production.
Patch releases	Include bug fixes and small updates. Come out more often. Usually need less than five minutes of downtime.

How to update: You can install upgrade packages or hotpatches manually. You can also turn on automatic updates for hotpatches. Automatic updates don’t replace major upgrades you still need to do yourself.

Administrative Options

People with Linux admin experience usually have an easier time setting up and maintaining the instance.

What admins can do:

Set up and monitor the instance through a web browser, SSH, or GitHub’s APIs.
Connect external authentication systems like CAS, LDAP, or SAML.
Create policies to make sure everyone follows company rules and regulations.

Backups and Availability

GitHub gives you several ways to protect your data and keep things running.

Option	What It Does
Backup Utilities	Official tools that take regular snapshots of your settings and user data.
Passive replica (High Availability)	A standby instance that automatically takes over if the main one fails.
Active replicas	Extra instances that handle read traffic. Good for teams spread across different locations.

Getting Started

Try it out: Sign up for a 45-day free trial.
Go live: Once you buy a license, follow the official getting started guide to set up your production instance.
After setup: Configure your instance, connect your identity provider, create organizations, and invite your team.